Minerva is an expert and agile management consultancy that helps fintech, payments, ecommerce and cryptocurrency businesses to grow and prosper.

We bring ideas and knowledge into organisations and we help them to discover and use their own knowledge and assets in new ways. We create opportunities, solve problems and guide our clients on how to operate effectively and safely in a fiercely competitive and dynamic market.

We pride ourselves most on bringing the unexpected to our clients' attention.

What we do

We offer our clients a broader view founded on experience, expertise and strategic know-how. We don’t deliver off-the-shelf solutions: we have experience and judgement and we are good listeners.

Our consultancy focuses on six key areas of activity:

Strategic Planning

Organisational Development

Risk & Regulatory Compliance

International Card Payments

Visa & Mastercard Audits and Online On-site Reviews

Leadership Development & Coaching

Minerva Academy delivers training courses on international payments, including AML, compliance, risk, underwriting, chargebacks and business models. We work with companies who wish to build in-house capability and knowledge, tailoring courses to the specific needs of their staff.

The payments industry is in a period of rapid change and our courses keep pace with this, providing the latest information and insights into industry developments and best practice. Courses are delivered by the Minerva team so participants learn directly from industry experts.

Whether working with a fintech start-up seeking to enter the market, an established payments acquirer needing to build capability and resilience, or a dynamic ecommerce merchant preparing for an on-site audit, we create value through collaboration and partnership.

What our clients say

“Michael's ability to quickly grasp our business and find solutions has enabled us to improve our performance and engage in new ways with our payment processors.”

Hesam Hosseini, CEOPlentyOfFish.com (a Match.com company)

“Minerva aren't just consultants who know their stuff - they are also a pleasure to work with.”

Christian Chmiel, CEOWeb Shield

“The Minerva team have become trusted advisors, guiding us on the complex and ever-changing payments regulations in the EU and helping us to develop our brand and culture.”

Cathy Beardsley, President & CEOSegPay

“Finding Minerva was like finding a shortcut to up-to-the-minute industry knowledge and best practice.”

Ljiljana Dragicevic, Executive Deputy DirectorAtlas Banka

“Stanley leaves a lasting impact on the leaders and organisations that he works with. He coaches with passion, experience and knowledge, and achieves tremendous results.”

Paul Daniel Micallef, OwnerMindworks Malta

Our team

Michael Burtscher

Founder & Managing Director

Michael is Minerva’s founder and is an expert in international payments. He works with clients across Europe, North America and the Middle East, providing advice and guidance to CEOs and senior teams of fintech, payments, ecommerce and cryptocurrency businesses.

Michael is adept at resolving issues relating to risk and compliance. He also advises companies on how to improve their risk management processes while supporting innovation and growth. His approach is both strategic and pragmatic, balancing the long view with the immediate practical and operational needs of an organisation.

In addition to leading Minerva, Michael is a board member of a number of fintech companies, advising on strategy.

Stanley Skoglund

Co-Founder & Director

Stanley is Minerva’s co-founder. He is a recognised leader in the global payments industry and has held senior and board roles in several European and US financial services companies, most recently as Senior Vice President of Payment System & Enterprise Risk at Visa Europe.

Stanley consults for start-ups, blue chip companies and public sector organisations in Europe and the US, leading executive coaching and capability building initiatives as well as advising on commercial and risk strategy in acquiring and payments, change programmes, organisational culture, and communication and operating models.

Stanley is an executive board member of the European Women Payments Network. He is also a non-executive director of a number of payment companies and a UK charity.

Dagmar Björnsdóttir

Senior Payments Consultant

Dagmar is a payments specialist with particular expertise in underwriting and compliance. She advises clients on operational matters and works closely with in-house teams to build capabilty and knowledge through training and day-to-day support. Drawing on a detailed knowledge of Visa and MasterCard operating regulations and expertise in operational management, Dagmar helps clients to implement changes that have a lasting impact on their businesses.

Dagmar is the country ambassador for Malta and a mentor for the European Women in Payments Network. Having risen through the ranks in the payments industry she passionately believes in supporting the next generation of women to realise their full potential.

Contact us

Please get in touch with us by phone, by email or using our contact form. We would be delighted to hear from you.

Minerva Malta

The Minerva Partnership Consultancy Ltd, trading as Minerva, is a company registered in England and Wales with company number 09667281. Registered office address: The Old Bank, 46-48 Cardiff Road, Llandaff, Cardiff, Wales CF5 2D, UK.